Pastor's Note

I know I've talked about this a good bit already, so forgive me if this is overkill! But I again wanted to mention the lecture Friday evening. There are a few reasons you might want to join us. First, we'll have dessert - that's a no-brainer. Second, it's an opportunity to connect with some folks from the denomination and Tabor specifically.

The elders met for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 18. Uncharacteristically (and thankfully), this month did not have a lengthy administrative agenda enabling us to spend more time on other things. We continued in our discussion of readings from The Multigenerational Church Crisis by Bryan Chapell.

A study of Romans 7-8, I believe, leads to the inevitable conclusion that unless we have the Spirit of God, we will not be able to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel and pleasing to the Lord. In other words, we need God's Spirit to follow God's ways. A study of Ephesians 5 will lead to the same conclusion.

Our annual SoupFest celebration is coming up Sunday evening, and it occurs to me that this may be the first SoupFest for a number of our people. So, in preparation, here are some notes and tips to help you prepare!

This ought to be our response should anyone ask how we account for growth in our midst. A simple shrug. Who knows? We put some gospel seed down. We watered it with the word. Then God did the work according to His will.

The elder retreat was held last Saturday. Mission Southside graciously allowed us to use their facilities for our all-day retreat (as they have in recent years). We appreciate their generosity.

I mentioned on Sunday that sin in our hearts and minds inevitably affects us physically, and what we do physically affects us spiritually. We could probably find many examples of this. Simply consider how prone you are to sin when you haven't gotten sufficient rest and sleep.

At the board meetings for Multiply, we were able to spend a few hours talking about the state of missions and the work of Multiply within the United States Mennonite Brethren. A portion of this discussion was led by Aaron Box, who has been the USMB National Director for a little over a year. During this time, Aaron spoke about the goals for our denomination over the next few years, as determined by national leaders. I thought these goals were fascinating and helpful, and wanted to pass them along to you, with a few of my own thoughts.

We have supported our missionaries well, and have been privileged to send out some of our own on the mission field. But we need more CBCers to go set foot on foreign soil and see the work of missions up close. Something different happens when you see for yourself where the gospel needs to break through.

This Sunday we begin a new round of Sunday School classes! Here's a little snapshot of what to expect in each.